Final Project To-do list (or ideas)
Since starting this class (and hoping to make something for my thesis) I had this idea of creating an interface synth, in the shape of my face. I’m thinking about sounds that the body makes or life-casting some of my body parts to use in the interface (damn you nipple knobs!!). I’ve got lots of ideas rattling around in my brain so here’s a list:
Initial sketch
Gather samples of body
Make (?) knobs —> life casting
Gate sequencer vs. pitch sequencers —> learn about that
Plug face into brain?!!?!
Some inspo: Brendan Byrne’s Theseus Synth
You can never have too many VCA’s
After some office hours with Jesse trying to iron out my final project, he pointed me in the direction of this video. These are my notes:
VCAs allow us to inject animation into our patches
Let us change the volume of signals over time
Change the “volume” of control voltages (CVs)
Use a VCA to build things:
Compressor, side-chain a kick (?), AM synthesis
Intermediary to modulate modulators
Moog DFAM
VCA’s can have character, not always clean
Input, output, control voltage (controls how loud)
VCAs to create voices, filters out sub-base mud, closes voice down
AM synthesis - plug another oscillator into CV control, oscillators kind of combine
Using a sequencer to change the volume of another pitch sequencer output
Static vs. animated
External DAC Oscillator
Michelle, Jess, and I worked together to get the PT8211 external digital to analog converter (DAC) working. We used a Teensy, DAC, and Jesse’s audio out Arduino code which outputs a sine wave and changes the frequency based on the position of the potentiometer.
Also, here’s a video of me beep-booping and modulating some stuff some weeks ago.